It is clearly auction season!
With Julien’s Auctions and Propstore currently offering Michael Jackson memorabilia, another major name has now entered the picture: Goldin.
For Michael Jackson collectors, Goldin may not be the first auction house that comes to mind. The company has built its reputation primarily around sports collectibles, particularly trading cards and sports memorabilia. However, Goldin has been expanding into other areas of popular culture and collectibles, and its current auction calendar now includes a dedicated Fall Music Memorabilia Auction.
If you have watched Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch, you will know that founder Ken Goldin and his team are looking to expand the company’s reach beyond sports.
And Michael Jackson is clearly part of that expansion.
Goldin has already teamed up with Funko for the unique one-of-one Michael Jackson Funko Pop! 250 being offered through a special auction. Now, the company has accumulated a much larger collection of Michael Jackson material.
And there is a lot of it!
The auction contains hundreds of Michael Jackson-related lots, with a particularly large number of signed items. Collectors will find Michael Jackson signatures on photographs, posters, vinyl records, cassettes, pieces of paper, album artwork and other memorabilia, with some items also carrying personal inscriptions or messages.
For collectors who enjoy Michael Jackson autographs, there is certainly plenty to look through.
But among the enormous number of lots, several pieces immediately caught our attention.
Michael Jackson Personally-Owned, Stage-Worn Leather Belt
One of the more interesting pieces is a Michael Jackson personally-owned and stage-worn leather belt with a silver buckle.
Unlike another signed photograph or album, an item such as this offers collectors the opportunity to own something described as having actually belonged to and been worn by Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson’s DITA Sunglasses
Another particularly interesting piece is a pair of Michael Jackson personally-owned and worn DITA sunglasses.
Michael was famously associated with sunglasses throughout his career, making personal eyewear an interesting category of memorabilia for collectors.
The Original “Thriller” Album Cover Test Photograph
Photography collectors will also want to take a look at the Michael Jackson “Thriller” album cover original test photograph by famed photographer Dick Zimmerman.
The Thriller cover is one of the most recognisable images in music history, and original photographic material connected to the creation of that artwork is naturally of interest to collectors.
Zimmerman photographed Michael Jackson for the iconic Thriller album cover, making this a particularly notable piece within the auction.
Another Pair Of Michael Jackson Sunglasses
Goldin is also offering another pair of Michael Jackson personally-owned sunglasses, this time with provenance connected to Henry Vaccaro.
So, if sunglasses are your thing, Goldin appears to have you covered!
But Then There Is The Frank Cascio Provenance…
There is, however, one part of this auction that we feel needs to be highlighted.
Among the Michael Jackson material are items originating from Frank Cascio, whom Goldin describes in its listings as “Jackson’s former personal manager.”
For longtime Michael Jackson collectors, the name Frank Cascio comes with a considerable amount of baggage.
Cascio has previously appeared as a source of provenance for Michael Jackson memorabilia sold through other auction houses. For example, previous auction listings have included Michael Jackson items accompanied by letters from Cascio claiming that the items were personally owned by Michael.
Let’s not forget that Julien’s Auction house also banned any items from the Cascios, Safechuks and the Robsons to be listed on their auctions, after backlash from the fans.
There has also been extensive controversy surrounding material associated with Cascio, particularly the so-called Cascio tracks. Independent research into recordings sold or described as Michael Jackson recordings has challenged the attribution of some of that material.
And let’s not mention the lawsuit that the Cascios are currently attempting to bring against the Michael Jackson Estate, which they are seeking to use to obtain millions of dollars.
For that reason, Cascio provenance is something that serious Michael Jackson collectors should investigate very carefully before bidding.
We don’t know when these particular items were consigned to Goldin, nor do we know what due diligence was carried out by Goldin before accepting them. Goldin is an established collectibles company, but its expansion into music memorabilia inevitably brings with it different provenance and authentication challenges from those encountered in the sports-card market.
And this is where Michael Jackson collectors need to do their own homework.
A certificate, letter of provenance or description from a former associate does not automatically settle every question surrounding an item. Collectors should examine the complete lot description, photographs, provenance and authentication information and, where necessary, seek independent specialist opinions before spending money.
And What About The Signatures?
There is another point worth mentioning.
Looking through the enormous number of signed Michael Jackson items, some of the signatures may look unusual to experienced Michael Jackson autograph collectors.
That is not us declaring that any particular signature is fake.
Authentication is a specialist subject, and photographs on an auction website are not necessarily enough to make that determination. However, if you are considering bidding, it is worth taking the time to study the signatures carefully and investigate the authentication and provenance supplied with each individual lot.
In other words: do your homework before you bid.
A New Area For Goldin
Goldin’s Michael Jackson offering is nevertheless an interesting development.
The company is clearly moving further into music and entertainment memorabilia, alongside its established sports-collectibles business. Its current auction catalogue already spans categories including sports, pop culture, music, movies, comics, video games and other collectibles.
For Michael Jackson collectors, that means another major auction platform is now competing for consignments and buyers.
And with hundreds of Michael Jackson items appearing in this auction alone, Goldin certainly seems to have accumulated enough material to make an impression.
Just remember: not every Michael Jackson item is created equal.
Provenance matters. Authentication matters. And when it comes to some of the names connected to the material, collectors should be particularly careful about what they are buying.
You can browse the complete Goldin auction and examine each individual lot, including the provenance and authentication information provided by the auction house, before deciding whether anything catches your eye.
Good luck to everyone bidding!
